Although all GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB graphics cards that were available in the market a while ago were none other but a copy of Nvidia’s reference design, the unique modifications of this graphics adapter were destined to appear sooner or later. We would like to offer you a review of one solution like that that is not only superior to all exiting GeForce 8800 GTS graphics cards, but also outperforms the GeForce 9800 GTX!

Performance in Strategies

Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts

The new add-on to Company of Heroes is tested in DirectX 10 mode only since it provides the highest quality of the visuals.

The two cards from Gainward equipped with 1GB of graphics memory have almost identical results, outperforming the GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB by 5-12% depending on display mode. This difference in average frame rate cannot be perceived with the eye. The game seems to be played at 1280x1024 with enabled FSAA, but occasional slowdowns are unavoidable if you use a G80/G92-based card.

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

The game having a frame rate limiter, you should consider the minimum speed of the cards in the first place.

Every card in this review belongs to the top market sector, and they cannot be compared using Command & Conquer 3 as they all reach the frame rate limit.

World in Conflict

It’s almost the same as in Company of Heroes: the average frame rate is rather high, at least at 1280x1024, but the minimum speed is low. The advantage of the described card from Gainward over the GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB doesn’t look significant.